Garbage bin

ABSTRACT

A refuse container which comprises a vertical support to which is affixed an upstanding generally rectangular frame into which the neck of a flexible refuse sack can be inserted and over the rim of which the edge of the sack is folded. At least at two opposite ends of the frame, there are provided a pair of securing flaps pivotal toward and away from the upper portion of the frame and held in contact with the turned-over portion of the sack by leaf springs which engage in openings of the flaps to retain them in outwardly deflected position for insertion and removal of the sack.

United States Patent [19] Schneider GARBAGE BIN 22 Filed: Jan. 10, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 216,575

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Mar. 12, 1971 Switzerland 3680/71 May 27, 1971 Switzerland 7759/71 June 7, 1971 Switzerland 8264/71 Sept. 7, 1971 Switzerland 13135/71 [52] US. Cl. 312/211, 248/99 [51] Int. Cl B65d 91/00, 1365b 67/04 [58] Field of Search 248/99, 100, 101, 134; 312/211, 212, 275; 211/83, 84; 24/11 P, 11 M, 67.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,407,474 2/1922 Nielsen 24/11 P 1,707,792 4/1929 Balk 24/11 F 2,537,793 l/1951 Seibert 24/11 P 3,374,976 3/1968 Kurlander et a1 248/101 3,443,745 5/1969 Kleeberg 248/101 R 1 Jan. 29, 1974 Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Attorney, Agent, or Firml(arl F. Ross; Herbert Dubno 57 ABSTRACT A refuse container which comprises a vertical support to which is afiixed an upstanding generally rectangular frame into which the neck of a flexible refuse sack can be inserted and over the rim of which the edge of the sack is folded. At least at two opposite ends of the frame, there are provided a pair of securing flaps pivotal toward and away from the upper portion of the frame and held in contact with the turned-over portion of the sack by leaf springs which engage in openings of the flaps to retain them in outwardly deflected position for insertion and removal of the sack.

3 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 29 I974 SHEET 2 [IF 4 PATENTEDJANZQ 1914 3788720 SHEET 3 BF 4 GARBAGE BIN This invention relates to a garbage bin, in particular for fitting in kitchen cabinet combinations, having a garbage compartment accessible through a door and a flexible garabage sack arranged therein, the sack being interchangeably suspended from a sack holder which is swingable out of the garbage compartment.

The garbage bin according to the invention differs from those of the type known heretofore in that the sack holder has allocated thereto a cover to ensure that odors cannot escape. The cover is hingedly mounted or movable as the case may be, but inside the garbage compartment and not on the sack holder, it being movably joined to the door of the garbage bin or to a part arranged thereon in such a way that the sack is raised when the door is opened and lowered when the same is closed, whereby the sack holder is made in the form of a frame having pivotal holding flaps fitted thereon, that are held against the outside of the frame by spring means and are adapted to swing out into the open position against the action of said means, in which they engage a catch.

Compared with garbage bins heretofore, the garbage bin according to the invention has the advantage that the cover is opened and closed fully automatically, without having to fit and remove chains, cords or the like when changing the garbage sack. Another advantage resides in the fact that the cover remains inside the bin when the door is swung out, so that the mouth of the garbage sack is fully accessible and is not restricted by the cover in any way. The refuse container according to the invention makes it possible to load the cover with a spring force in its closed'position in simple fashion, achieving a perfect closure. To seal the sack so that no odors can escape, it is furthermore possible to fit the cover and/or sack holder with an elastic sealing material at the common points of contact.

The accompanying drawing shows embodiments of the invention; in the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a vertical section through the garbage bin according to a first embodiment, with the tilting door open;

FIG. 2 shows a section view of the open garbage bin as taken on the line II-Il of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a vertical section through the garbage bin with the tilting door closed;

FIG. 4 is a perspectivediagrammatic representation of a garbage compartment forming part of a kitchen cabinet combination, as indicated by dot-dash lines, with a holding and swivel device for the sack holding frame shown in solid lines;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary detail view from FIG.4 on an enlarged sacle;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of a sack holding frame mounted on the door ofa kitchen unit cabinet, with the door open;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line VIIVII of FIG.6 with the holding flap closed;

FIG. 8 is the same sectional view with the holding flap opened;

FIG. 9 is a cross section taken on the line IX-IX of FIG.6;

FIG. 10 is an elevation of a sack holding frame mounted on the door of a kitchen unit cabinet, with the door open;

FlG.1l is a top plan view to FIG.10;

FIG.12 is a detail view from FIG.10 on an enlarged sacle;

FIG.13 is the profile for clips serving to clamp the edge of the garbage sack to the frame and to hang a shopping bag;

FIG. I4 is a view of the clip from the inside.

Referring more particularly to FIGS.l 3, 3, numeral 1 designates a frame-like sack holder as fixed on the inside of the tilting door 6 of a garbage bin 3. The tilting door 6 is swingable to the front on its hinges 13, being in its closed position held by a snap closure 16. At top the opening for the door is bounded by a ledge 12. The inside of door 6 has pivoted thereto at the side a detent lever 15 which engages a stop bolt 14 in the side wall 3a with its hook-shaped end 15 in the opened position of the door, thus defining the outward swing of the door. The cover 2 is hingedly mounted on a fixed horizontal axis 4 inside the bin 3. The ends of axis 4 fit into the bearing holes 11 in the side walls 3a and 3b. One end of axis 4 carries a sleeve-like piece 18 mounted so as to be shiftable axially against the action of a spring 10, allowing the axis 4 to .be axially telescoped by a small amount to facilitate inserting the axis 4 into the bearing hole 11. Two locking rings 17 secure the cover 2 axially on its axis 4. Cover 2 is loaded with a weight 5 along its rear edge, tending to swivel it into the open position as in FIGS.1 and 2. A stop 8 fixed to the front edge of cover 2 and projecting upwards serves to define the opening movement of the cover. In the open position of cover 2 the stop 8 comes up against the top of the bin 19. In this tilted position the cover 2 forms an angle a with the horizontal line H passing through its axis 4, which angle opens upwards to the front, towards the tilting door 6. Cover 2 has fixed on its underside a stop spring 7 which projects into the path of movement of the sack holder 1. Upon closing the tilting door 6, said holder strikes against stop spring 7, swinging the cover down into its horizontal position, causing same to rest tightly on sack holder 1 under the action of spring 7. With cover 2 resting on sack holder 1 the latter together with the garbage sack 20 suspended thereon in sealed off.

To seal the sack 20 as tightly as possible against odors, an elastic sealing material 9 is fitted on the undersite of cover 2 and/or on sack holder 1 as well. The sealing material may be a ring of, say, foam rubber of plastics let into the underside of the cover. Under the action of stop spring 7 the cover 2 is pressed onto sack holder 1, sealing the sack 20 so that no odors can escape. Stop 7 may be either a leaf or bar spring.

Instead of the weight 5 tending to swing the cover 2 into its open position, a spring member may be provided to achieve the same effect.

In FIGS.4 and 5 numeral 21 designates a garbage compartment fitted within the kitchen cabinet combination and closable by the hinged door 24.

25 denotes (by dash-dot lines) the sack holder frame for the garbage sack (not shown), while 26 (also indicated by dot-dashed) represents a bracket adapted to support the bottom of the sack. To fix frame 25 and bracket 26 there are two arms 28 and 29 swivably mounted on a vertical axis 27. Swivel axis 27 is carried in two bearings 30, the top one of which being screwed to the inside wall 31 and the bottom one to the floor 32 of the garbage compartment. Each of said bearings includes a horizontal base plate 33 with two identical bearing eyes 34 and 35, together with a fixing lug 36 at right angles to the base plate. Depending on whether a bearing 30 is to be mounted on a side wall or on the top of floor 32 of the garbage compartment, the fixing screws pass through either the lugs 36 of else the base plate 33. As apparent from the drawing, the bearing eyes 34,35 and the fixing ing 36 of one and the same bearing project on the same side of the base plate 33.

In the form shown, swivel axis 27 includes two sections: an upper section 27' and a lower section 27". Both sections are joined by a sleeve 37 into which their inner ends fit, though the bore of the sleeve does not extend right through but is interrupted half-way along its length by a solid section 38 acting as an abutment.

As visible in FIG.5, the inner end of the upper section of axis 27' has a number of grooves 39 recessed thereinto,forming constrictions of the cross section which assist shortening the axis section 27if required. In this way the length, i.e. height of the swivel axis can be adapted to particular conditions. Axis, arms and bearings may preferably be manufactured from plastics, say, thermoplastics.

The connection between the swivel arms 28,29 and the door 24 is ensured by two hook screws 40 and 41 fixed in the door, their ends hooking over said arms. As shown in FIG.4 it is preferable to have the axis 27 located as close as possible to the swivel axis of door 24.

Carried in two open bearings 25a integral with holder frame 25 (of which only one is shown in FIG.4) is a pin 25b acting as a roll holder. Said pin serves to carry a roll 250 which consists of a strip 25d of garbage sacks that may be parted off along transverse perforation lines, as is available commercially. From said roll single garbage sacks can be drawn off as required, and either cut off or else torn off if transverse perforations have been provided, and then suspended and fixed in the holder frame 25 in known manner. This embodiment has the advantage that spare garbage sacks are always immediately available where they are needed.

The sack holder frame 42 shown in FIGS.6 9 is mounted in horizontal position on the door T of a kitchen unit cabinet by means of brackets and surrounds the mouth of the garbage sack 44 whose edge 44 is wrapped over the sides of the frame from the inside to the outside. The ends of the rectangular frame 42 (one of which faces the viewer in FIG.6) have arranged thereon the holding flaps 45 facing away from each other on the outside and serving to hold the edge 44 of the sack on the outside of the frame. The holding flaps 45 are each hinged on an axis 46 parallel to the plane of the frame. The bearings of the holding flaps are formed by projections 47 arranged thereon, which engage with clearance corresponding recesses 48 in the adjacent sides of the frame. The holding flaps 45 are held by leaf springs 49 against the corresponding sides of the frame. Said springs 49 are fixed to the frame sides acting in conjunction with the holding flaps, and at their ends opposite to their fixing point they terminate in a dog 50, formed (as shown) by a kink or bend in the end of the spring. With the holding flap in its open position, dog 50 engages a catch 51 formed in the example by a slot-shaped opening in the holding flap.

In the embodiment shown, the ends of the frame are provided with studs 52 adapted to engage recesses or holes 53 in the holding flaps 45 when these are in their clamping position. Conversely of course said studs could be on the holding flaps, and the holes 53 would then be provided in the adjacent frame sides.

Referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 10 14, numeral 54 designates a rectangular frame fixed in a horizontal position on the inside of door T at the top by means of two holders 55, and which serves to suspend and keep open a garbage sack 56. The edges 56 of the opening of the garbage sack surrounded by the frame 54 at the top are wrapped over outside the frame, being additively clamped onto the sides of the frame by means of clips 57 fixed from above. A bracket 58 mounted below on the inside of door T serves to support the weight of the garbage sack 56.

The clip shown separately in FIGS.12 and 13 consists of strip spring material, such as steel, copper, brass, etc. or plastics also. It has two outer flanges 60 and 61, and an inner flange 62 therebetween. The ends of the inner flange 62 are joined by two webs 63 and 64 curving over in opposite directions to the outer flanges 60 and 61, thus forming a substantially S-shaped profile.

Flange 60 bent over from the top of the inner flange 62 of clip 57 forms together with the inner flange 62 a clip providing additive clamping of the garbage sack 56' on frame 54, while flange 61 bent over from the inner flange 62 at the bottom forms together with the latter a hook for hanging the grips 59' of a carrier shopping bag 59 (see FIGS.10 and 12). The free ends 61' of the hooks 61 are bent outwards so as to widen the hook, to assist hanging the carrier bag grips 59.

Such shopping bags may be hung advantageously in frames already occupied by an ordinary garbage sack, for as a rule the shopping bag will take up only part of the frame cross section. If kitchen waste thrown in should miss the shopping bag, it will collect inside the sack suspended in the frame.

The clips 57 may be dispensed with if, as shown in FIG.2, pairs of notches 25e open to the top are arranged in the front and back of the holder frame 25 (FIG.4), on which to hang the grips of shopping bags.

What I claim is:

1. A refuse container comprising an upright support, a generally rectangular horizontal frame having generally vertical opposite sides and ends, a sack of flexible material receivable in said frame and having an upper portion adapted to be turned over an upper edge of the frame to overlie external surfaces of said sides and said ends, a pair of flaps each pivotally mounted along a lower edge on a respective one of said ends and swingable into and out of engagement with the portions of the sack overlying-the respective ends, spring means biasing said flaps into engagement with said sack portions, and detent means for releasably retaining each of said flaps in an outer position to enable removal and replacement of said sack, each of said flaps being of generally rectangularconfiguration and is formed with a tongue at opposite ends of the lower edge thereof pivotally engaging said frame, said spring means including a leaf spring affixed to the lower edge of said frame at each of said ends and bearing upon the respective flap between the tongue thereof, said detent means including a dog formed on a free end of each of said leaf springs, said flaps each having a window receiving the respective dog and formed with an edge co-operating with same to retain the flap in its outer position, each of said flaps being formed with an outwardly bent upper edge facilitating manipulation by the user of said container, recesses formed in each of said flaps in the region between the junction of the outwardly bent upper portion thereof with the remainder of said flap,

and protuberances receivable in said recesses for lockport for holding said sack from below. ing the turned-over portion of said sack between said protuberances and said flaps.

2. The refuse container defined in claim 1, further comprising a horizontally extending table spaced below 5 about a Vemcal and aligned with said frame and mounted on said sup- 3. The refuse container defined in claim 2 wherein said support is a door of a kitchen cabinet swingable 

1. A refuse container comprising an upright support, a generally rectangular horizontal frame having generally vertical opposite sides and ends, a sack of flexible material receivable in said frame and having an upper portion adapted to be turned over an upper edge of the frame to overlie external surfaces of said sides and said ends, a pair of flaps each pivotally mounted along a lower edge on a respective one of said ends and swingable into and out of engagement with the portions of the sack overlying the respective ends, spring means biasing said flaps into engagement with said sack portions, and detent means for releasably retaining each of said flaps in an outer position to enable removal and replacement of said sack, each of said flaps being of generally rectangular configuration and is formed with a tongue at opposite ends of the lower edge thereof pivotally engaging said frame, said spring means including a leaf spring affixed to the lower edge of said frame at each of said ends and bearing upon the respective flap between the tongue thereof, said detent means including a dog formed on a free end of each of said leaf springs, said flaps each having a window receiving the respective dog and formed with an edge co-operating with same to retain the flap in its outer position, each of said flaps being formed with an outwardly bent upper edge facilitating manipulation by the user of said container, recesses formed in each of said flaps in the region between the junction of the outwardly bent upper portion thereof with the remainder of said flap, and protuberances receivable in said recesses for locking the turnedover portion of said sack between said protuberances and said flaps.
 2. The refuse container defined in claim 1, further comprising a horizontally extending table spaced below and aligned with said frame and mounted on said support for holding said sack from below.
 3. The refuse container defined in claim 2 wherein said support is a door of a kitchen cabinet swingable about a vertical axis. 